Cottage Country
This past weekend we had the great honour of being invited to our friends, Rick and Nancy's, family cottage. Resting on the shore of the beautiful Severn River in "cottage country" north of Toronto, this sweet haven was Nancy and her grandparents' summertime home when she was young. Naturally, the area has become much more populated and the cottage itself is getting some necessary face-lifts, but the memories and feeling of a loving family's country get-away remain.Saturday afternoon we were joined by three other fellow motor-sport-enthusiast couples and two low-riding long-haired dachshunds. Oscar and Ernie graciously handled Copper as he towered over them, and they all seemed to enjoy the extra canine company. Once everyone had settled in, nine of the ten of us, plus all three pups, climbed aboard our hosts' comfy pontoon boat for a final river cruise of the season. The views of gorgeous autumn foliage and river-side homes (and toys) totally overshadowed the bite of the chilly breeze. It was truly a photographer's dream, and a wonderful, relaxing boat ride.
What is a friends- or family-gathering without a feast? As expected, we all ate too much delicious lasagna and salads and followed the meal with pumpkin pie, bread, and coffee cake, topped with fresh whipped cream. Such decadence!
Cottages in Washington State are called cabins, and this weekend reminded me of my grandparents' cabin on gorgeous Lake Chelan. Wooden walls, tiny bedrooms, a fireplace, and a central dining table whose leaves and extensions created room for plenty of company were all so familiar. Many of my childhood summer weekends included a rousing card game of "Oh Sh*t," a form of rummy, which Rick and Nancy allowed me to add to their cottage's repertoire.
With Friday's brief display of snowflakes making winter's beginning obvious, we're feeling quite blessed to have experienced this end-of-season retreat, and are once more grateful for the generosity of dear friends.
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